'The Naturals' add scoring punch to Springfield Falcons

Staff photo by David MolnarIn his first year with the Falcons, Matt Calvert has scored nine goals.

SPRINGFIELD – Hockey coaches call them “natural goal-scorers.”

They’re a rare breed, and hard to find.

If your team doesn’t have them, you’d better have great goaltending and defense.

Based on what has transpired over the first two months of this American Hockey League season, it would appear that the Springfield Falcons do have a couple of those “naturals” – Matt Calvert and Tomas Kubalik.

They’re both 20-year-old rookies, up from Canadian junior hockey and showing that they’re capable of adjusting to life in the tough and physical AHL.

So what is a natural goal-scorer, anyway?

“That kind of player has an innate ability,” Falcons coach Rob Riley said. “They had the skill it took to score when they were in kid hockey, and they continued to have it all the way up through the various levels.”

Calvert and Kubalik have nine goals each. Riley regards them both as natural scorers, but of different styles.

“Matt’s speed has a lot to do with his offense. Tomas has good hands, so he’s more of a rebounds and tip-ins kind of scorer,” Riley said.

Calvert, a native of Brandon, Manitoba, had 47 goals in his final junior season. Kubalik, born and raised in the Czech Republic, had 33 despite some major obstacles.

He was far from home, playing for Victoriaville in Quebec, where the dominant language is French, and learning a style of hockey far different from what he was used to in Europe.

“Playing in Canada made a big difference for me. I never played more than 32 games in a season until I played 58 (for Victoriaville). I think that will help me handle the schedule we play in this league,” Kubalik said.

“Tomas did a great job of adjusting to a new world, learning English and learning to play a game that was much more physical than the hockey he had known back home,” Riley said. “He faced all those obstacles, and he still was able to play well. You have to pull for a guy like that.”

Just 20 years old, Tomas Kubalik is off to a good start for the Falcons.

Calvert and Kubalik will be linemates tonight, skating with Chris D’Alvise, when the Falcons host the Bridgeport Sound Tigers at the MassMutual Center. It’s the start of another tough weekend for the Springfield club, which faces Atlantic Division-leading Manchester on the road Saturday night, and high-scoring Norfolk at home Sunday afternoon.

The Falcons will be bolstered by the return of Tom Sestito, a solid all-around player who missed 10 games because of an injury. However, the Birds lose two other veterans to the disabled list. Steven Goertzen will not play over the weekend. Ben Guite, also injured, could be sidelined for an extended period.

In realigning his forwards, Riley will have Sestito playing with Michael Blunden and Jay Pandolfo; Dane Byers skating with Trevor Frischmon and Nick Tarnasky on what he calls his “tough line;” and Tyler Murovich skating with Maksim Mayorov and Brent Regner.

The Falcons practiced Thursday at Cyr Arena because the MassMutual Center was set up for a Springfield Armor game in the NBA D-League.

“We had a good practice at Cyr – a good week of practice altogether,” Riley said.